                    ionCube PHP Standalone Encoder Changelog
                    ----------------------------------------

The main changes between Encoder versions are detailed below. Please see the
user guide and quick reference guide for more details.

VERSION 3.0 - July 2003
-----------------------

NEW FEATURES

* Customised Loader Events

The messages for Loader events may now be customised as required on a 
per-encoded file basis. This permits the use of non-English messages and
those that are specific to the application or vendor. Customisable event
messages include those for corrupt files, expired files, and non-permissioned
files.


* Multiple IP restrictions

IP restrictions may now be specified for multiple IP addresses, multiple IP
address ranges, and multiple IP address subnets.


* Server Name Restrictions

Files can now also be restricted based on server names, and combined with IP
address restrictions. 


* Ethernet Address (MAC) Based Restrictions ('Cerberus' Encoder)

An upgrade to the standard Encoder now offers Ethernet address based
restrictions for encoded files. This mechanism locks files to the
hardware address of Ethernet network cards, and offers stronger control
in restricting where files can be used.


* File Properties

Files may have numeric, string and array properties associated with them.
These can be read via an API call in the Loader, and files may be
set to interact only with files that have specific properties and values.


* Support for Loader API

The Loader accompanying this release introduces a secure API for use by
encoded files. The API uses a unique and proprietary alternative to the
usual function call mechanism provided by PHP, and is transparent to the
PHP script developer. Most Loader API functions return FALSE unless called
by encoded files.


* New optimisation settings

A new option '--optimise <level>' optimises encoded files more at the expense 
of additional encoding time. '<level>' can currently be 'more' or 'max'. 
--optimize is available as an alias for --optimise.


ENHANCEMENTS

* File Format

The latest generation of encoded file format yields various benefits,
including improved performance and smaller files. The Loaders for this release
still support all previous file formats.


* Encoding Performance

Encoding performance is enhanced over previous releases for all performance
settings.


* Filename/Directory Pattern Matching

The processing of filename and directory patterns for the --include, --exclude,
--keep and --ignore options has been improved.


* Enhanced Access Control

Support for multiple IP's and server name restrictions greatly extends the ways
that files can be locked to specific configurations.

e.g.

Locking to single IP

--allowed-server 192.168.1.4

Locking to single server name

--allowed-server www.simplesite.com

Locking to two domains on a cluster

--allowed-server www.bigsite.com,www.bigsite.de@212.10.50.12-19

 
FEATURE CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS RELEASES

The default file patterns for matching PHP files are now:
'*.php' '*.php3' '*.php4' '*.phtml'

The high performance encoding of the '--fastest' switch from previous releases
is now the default. It produces highly efficient files in the shortest
encoding time. '--optimise' can be used instead to increase the processing
time spent on optimisations although this is not necessary.

'--faster' and '--fastest' from previous releases are now deprecated.

The '--compress' option is now always enabled.

The '--allow-call-time-pass-reference' is now enabled by default. The new
option '--strict-php' enables warnings if deprecated PHP language features
are used, and generating warnings if call time reference passing is used.


